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| A coiled up thread of DNA |
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| small segments of DNA that contain information for producing proteins |
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| a large molecule that contains genes |
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| all the genetic information in DNA |
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| different forms of a gene |
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| genes that show their effect even if there is only one allele for that trait in the pair |
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| genes that show their effects only when both alleles are the same |
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| the scientific study of the role of heredity in behavior |
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| the hereditary passing on of traits determined by a single gene |
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| the process by which any genes interact to create a single characteristic |
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| the extent to which a characteristic is influenced by genetics |
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| twins that develop from two different eggs fertilized by two different sperm |
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| twins that develop from a single fertilized egg that splits into two independent cells |
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| research into hereditary influence on twins, both identical and fraternal, who were raised apart and who were raised together |
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| the entire genetic makeup of an organism |
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| study of changes in the way genes are turned on or off without a change in the sequence of DNA |
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| gene by environment interaction research |
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| method of studying heritability by comparing genetic markers; allows researchers to assess how genetic differences interact with environment to produce certain behaviors in some people but not in others |
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| the organism's observed characteristics |
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| the part of the nervous system that comprises the brain and spinal cord |
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| peripheral nervous system |
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Definition
| the part of the nervous system that comprises all the nerve cells in the body outside the cns |
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| nerve cells of the peripheral nervous system that transmit sensory info to the cns and those that transmit info from the cns to the skeletal muscles |
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| all the nerves of the peripheral nervous system that serve involuntary systems of the body like organs and glands |
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| sympathetic nervous system |
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Definition
| the branch of the autonomic nervous system that activates bodily systems in times of emergency |
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| cns cells that provide structural support, promote efficient communication between neurons , an serve as scavengers, removing cellular debris |
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| chemicals that transmit info between neurons |
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| the cell body of the neurons |
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| the cells that process and transmit info in the nervous system |
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| long projection that extends from a neurons soma; it transmits electrical impulses toward the adjacent neuron and stimulates the release of neurotransmitters |
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| fingerlike projections from a neuron's soma that receive incoming messages from other neurons |
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| the fatty substance wrapped around some axons , which insulates the axon, making the nerve impulse travel more efficiently |
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| the junction between an axon and the adjacent neuron , where info is transmitted from one neuron to another |
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| little knobs at the end of the axon that contain tiny sacs of neurotransmitters |
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| nerve cells that receive incoming sensory info from the sense organs |
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| nerve cells that carry commands for movement from the brain to the muscles of the body |
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| nerve cells that are active when we observe others performing an action as well as when we are performing the same action |
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| neurons that communicate only with other neurons |
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| the impulse of positive charge that runs down an axon |
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Definition
| chemically charged particles that predominate in bodily fluids; found both inside and outside cells |
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| the difference in electrical charge between the inside and outside of the axon when the neuron is at rest |
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| the span of time, after an action potential has been generated, when the neuron is returning to its resting state and the neuron cannot generate an action potential |
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Definition
| the idea that once the threshold has been crossed, either an action potential fires or it does not |
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Definition
| a way of removing excess neurotransmitter from the synapse in which enzymes specific for that neurotransmitter bind with the neurotransmitter and destroy it |
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Definition
| a way of removing excess neurotransmitter from the synapse, in which excess neurotransmitter is returned to the sending, or presynaptic, neuron for storage in vesicles and future use |
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Definition
| small changes in membrane potential that by themselves are insufficient to trigger an action potential |
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| a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain that increases the likelihood that a postsynaptic neuron will fir; important in learning, memory, neural processing, and brain development |
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| a neurotransmitter that controls muscle movement and plays a role in mental processes such as learning, memory, attention sleeping, and dreaming |
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| a neurotransmitter released in response to behaviors that feel good or are rewarding to the person or animal also involved in voluntary motor control |
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| also known as adrenaline, a neurotransmitter that arouses bodily systems such as increasing heart rate |
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| a neurotransmitter with wide ranging effects: involved in dreaming and in controlling emotional states, especially anger, anxiety, and depression |
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Definition
| major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that tells postsynaptic neurons not to fire; it slows cns activity and is necessary to regulate and control neural activity |
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| a neurotransmitter that activates the sympathetic response to stress, increasing heart rate, rate of respiration, and blood pressure in support of rapid action |
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| a hindbrain structure that extends directly from the spinal cord; regulates breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure |
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| inborn and involuntary behaviors such as coughing, swallowing, sneezing, or vomiting that are elicited by very specific stimuli |
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Definition
| a hindbrain structure that serves as a bridge between lower brain regions and higher midbrain and forebrain activity |
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| a hindbrain structure involved in body movement, balance, coordination, fine tuning motor skills, and cognitive activates such as learning and language |
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| a network of nerve fibers that runs up through both the hindbrain and the midbrain; it is crucial to waking up and falling asleep |
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| a forebrain structure that receives info from the senses and relays it to the cerebral cortex for processing |
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| a limbic structures; the master regulator of almost all major drives and motives we have, such as hunger, thirst, temp, and sexual behavior; also controls the pituitary gland |
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| small, almondshpaed structure located directly in front of the hippocampus; has connections with many important brain regions and is important for processing emotional information, especially that related to fear |
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| a limbic structure that wraps itself around the thalamus; plays a vital role in learning and memory |
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| beltlike structure in the middle of the brain that plays an important role in attention and cognitive control |
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| a collection of structures surrounding the thalamus involved in voluntary motor control |
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| each of the large halves of the brain that are covered with convolutions, or folds |
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| thin outer layer of the cerebrum, in which much of human thought, planning, perception, and consciousness takes place |
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| small structure inside the cerebrum that plays an important role in the perception of bodily sensations, emotional states, empathy, and addictive behavior. |
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| nerve fibers that connect the two hemispheres of the brain. |
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Definition
| deficit in the ability to speak or comprehend language. |
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Definition
| area in the left frontal lobe responsible for the ability to produce speech. |
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Definition
| an area deep in the left temporal lobe responsible for the ability to speak in meaningful sentences and to comprehend the meaning of speech. |
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| the brain's ability to adopt new functions, reorganize itself, or make new neural connections throughout life, as a function of experience. |
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Definition
| the development of new neurons |
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Definition
| the formation of entirely new synapses or connections with other neurons |
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Definition
| the growth and formation of new dendrites |
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Term
| electroencephalography (EEG) |
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Definition
| a method for measuring brain activity in which the electrical activity of the brain is recorded from electrodes placed on a person's scalp. |
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| magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) |
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Definition
| brain imaging technique that uses magnetic fields to produce detailed images of the structure of the brain and other soft tissues. |
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| event-related potential (ERP) |
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Definition
| a special technique that extracts electrical activity from raw EEG data to measure cognitive processes. |
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| functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) |
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Definition
| brain imaging technique that uses magnetic fields to produce detailed images of activity in areas of the brain and other soft tissues. |
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| positron emission tomography (PET) |
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Definition
| brain imaging technique that measures blood flow to active areas in the brain. |
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Definition
| system of glands that secrete and regulate hormones in the body. |
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Definition
| the master endocrine gland of the body that controls the release of hormones from glands throughout the body. |
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Definition
| endocrine structures that release hormones important in regulating the stress response and emotions. |
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Definition
| chemicals, secreted by glands, that travel in the bloodstream and carry messages to tissues and organs all over the body. |
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| chemicals released from the adrenal glands that function as hormones and as neurotransmitters to control ANS activation. |
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| stress hormone produced by the body to ensure that the body gets enough fuel during emotional arousal and stress. |
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| a physical process: the stimulation of our sense organs by features of the outer world. |
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| the conversion of physical into neural information. |
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| a psychological process: the act of organizing and interpreting sensory experience. |
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| the process by which our sensitivity diminishes when an object constantly stimulates our senses. |
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| the lowest intensity level of a stimulus a person can detect half of the time. |
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| the viewpoint that both stimulus intensity and decision-making processes are involved in the detection of a stimulus. |
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| the smallest amount of change between two stimuli that a person can detect half of the time. |
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| the finding that the size of a just noticeable difference is a constant fraction of the intensity of the stimulus. |
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| the effect of frame of mind on perception; a tendency to perceive stimuli in a certain manner. |
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Definition
| the clear hard covering that protects the lens of the eye. |
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Definition
| the opening in the iris through which light enters the eye. |
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Definition
| the muscle that forms the colored part of the eye; it adjusts the pupil to regulate the amount of light that enters the eye. |
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Definition
| the structure that sits behind the pupil; it bends the light rays that enter the eye to focus images on the retina. |
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Definition
| the process by which the muscles control the shape of the lens to adjust to viewing objects at different distances. |
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Definition
| the thin layer of nerve tissue that lines the back of the eye. |
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Definition
| the smallest amount of change between two stimuli that a person can detect half of the time. |
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Definition
| the finding that the size of a just noticeable difference is a constant fraction of the intensity of the stimulus. |
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Definition
| the effect of frame of mind on perception; a tendency to perceive stimuli in a certain manner. |
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Definition
| the clear hard covering that protects the lens of the eye. |
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Definition
| the opening in the iris through which light enters the eye. |
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Definition
| the muscle that forms the colored part of the eye; it adjusts the pupil to regulate the amount of light that enters the eye. |
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Definition
| the structure that sits behind the pupil; it bends the light rays that enter the eye to focus images on the retina. |
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Definition
| the process by which the muscles control the shape of the lens to adjust to viewing objects at different distances. |
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Definition
| the thin layer of nerve tissue that lines the back of the eye. |
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Definition
| cells in the retina (called rods and cones) that convert light energy into nerve energy. |
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Definition
| process of adjustment to seeing in the dark. |
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Definition
| phtoreceptors that function in low illumination and play a key role in night vision; responsive to dark and light contrast. |
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Definition
| photoreceptors that are responsible for color vision and are most functional in conditions of bright light. |
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Definition
| the ability to see clearly. |
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Definition
| spot on the back of the retina that contains the highest concentration of cones in the retina; place of clearest vision. |
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Definition
| structure composed of the axons of ganglion cells from the retina that carry visual information from the eye to the brain. |
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Definition
| the point at which strands of the optic nerve from half of each eye cross over to the opposite side of the brain. |
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Definition
| neurons in the visual cortex that analyze the retinal image and respond to specific aspects of shapes, such as angles and movements. |
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Definition
| the ability to see things in three dimensions and to discriminate what is near from what is far. |
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| aids to depth perception that rely on imput from both eyes. |
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Definition
| aids to depth perception that do not require two eyes. |
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Definition
| the ability of the brain to preserve perception of objects in spite of changes in retinal image when an object changes in position or distance from the viewer. |
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Definition
| Gestalt law that says we see points or lines in such a way that they follow a continuous path. |
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Definition
| Gestalt law that says we tend to group like objects together in visual perception. |
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Definition
| Gestalt law that says we tend to group objects together that are near one another. |
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Definition
| The tendency to perceive a whole object in the absence of complete information. |
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Definition
| idea that perception is a process of building a perceptual experience from smaller pieces. |
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Definition
| perception of the whole based on our experience and expectations, which guide our perception of smaller elemental features of a stimulus. |
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| trichromatic color theory |
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Definition
| the theory that all color that we experience results from a mixing of three colors of light (red, green, and blue). |
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Definition
| visual images that remain after removal of or looking away from the stimulus. |
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| the theory that color vision results from cones linked together in three pairs of opposing colors, so that activation of one member of the pair inhibits activity in the other. |
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Definition
| structure of the inner ear involved in maintaining balance. |
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Definition
| a bony tube of the inner ear, which is curled like a snail's shell and filled with fluid. |
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Definition
| a membrane that runs through the cochlea; contains the hair cells. |
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Definition
| inner ear sensory receptors for sound that transduce sound vibrations into neural impulses. |
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Definition
| the nerve that receives action potentials from the hair cells and transmits auditory information to the brain. |
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Definition
| receptor cells in the skin that are sensitive to different tactile qualities, such as shape, grooves, vibrations, and movements. |
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Definition
| the senses based in the skin, body, or any membrane surfaces. |
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Definition
| a complex emotional and sensory experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. |
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| gate control theory of pain |
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Definition
| idea that the spinal cord regulates the experience of pain by either opening or closing neural channels, called gates, that transmit pain sensations to the brain. |
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| olfactory sensory neurons |
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Definition
| the sensory receptors for smell that reside high up inside the nose. |
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Definition
| a forebrain structure that sends information either directly to the smell processing areas in the cortex or indirectly to the cortex by way of the thalamus. |
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Definition
| textured structures on the surface of the tongue; contain thousands of taste buds. |
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Definition
| structures inside the papillae of the tongue that contain the taste receptor cells. |
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Definition
| sensory receptors for taste that reside in the taste buds. |
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Definition
| an unusual sensory experience in which a person experiences sensations in one sense when a different sense is stimulated. |
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